CSIR-Central Road Research Institute and CSIR-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute jointly organised a workshop in Bhopal on innovative materials, advanced composites and sustainable technologies for transportation infrastructure. The programme brought together around 300 delegates from government departments, research institutions, academia and industry.
The one-day workshop was held at CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, on August 19 as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations of CSIR-CRRI, which are being observed from July 2026 to July 2027. The event focused on taking research innovations from laboratories to field-level infrastructure projects.
Bhopal Hosts Infrastructure Workshop
The workshop brought together representatives from MP PWD, Madhya Pradesh Road Development Corporation, NHAI, CSIR-AMPRI, NITTTR Bhopal, MANIT Bhopal, SPA Bhopal, academia and industry.
Madhya Pradesh Public Works Department Minister Rakesh Singh inaugurated the programme, while CSIR Director General and DSIR Secretary Dr N. Kalaiselvi joined the event online as Guest of Honour.
Focus On Sustainable Roads
The discussions centred on emerging materials, sustainable construction practices and technologies for infrastructure rehabilitation.
Minister Rakesh Singh highlighted sustainable rainwater harvesting around roads and bridges for groundwater recharge. He also pointed to digital initiatives such as the Lok Path mobile application for improving road infrastructure management in Madhya Pradesh.
CSIR officials stressed the need for stronger coordination between research laboratories, government agencies and industry to turn scientific developments into practical infrastructure solutions.
New Construction Technologies
The technical programme covered innovative construction and rehabilitation technologies. One session examined box-jacking technology combined with soil nailing for road and railway underpasses.
Researchers also presented scientific approaches for rehabilitating distressed highway geostructures, including reinforced-soil walls and field-tested case studies. Full-depth reclamation was another area discussed for improving the sustainability of road construction.
Waste Materials In Roads
Another major theme was the use of waste and alternative materials in highway construction. Experts discussed technologies involving fly ash, geopolymer concrete and other resource-efficient materials.
The workshop also examined biostimulated calcite precipitation for stabilising expansive soils. Such technologies could reduce dependence on conventional construction materials while improving the performance and sustainability of infrastructure projects.
Advanced Composites Explored
The final technical session focused on advanced materials and composites for infrastructure applications.
Topics included natural-fibre geosynthetics for sustainable ground improvement, sisal-fibre reinforcement for asphalt pavements and fibre-reinforced polymer composites for bridge superstructures. Industry representatives also presented perspectives on the application of geosynthetic and composite technologies.
CSIR-AMPRI researchers also discussed fly ash-based geopolymeric concrete and resource-efficient geopolymer concrete mix designs.
Research To Field Projects
A key message from the workshop was the need to move promising research outcomes beyond laboratory demonstrations and into large-scale infrastructure projects.
Dr Kalaiselvi urged industry representatives and engineering departments to collaborate with CSIR laboratories for implementing technologies that can address real-world infrastructure challenges. CSIR-CRRI Director Dr Chalumuri Ravi Sekhar also emphasised field-ready and sustainable solutions during the event.
Roadmap For Wider Adoption
The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on developing an adoption roadmap for innovative materials and technologies in highway projects.
The discussion examined how research findings and field demonstrations could be translated into wider infrastructure applications. The event also reinforced the need for collaboration between researchers, government agencies, engineers, academia and industry.
For Madhya Pradesh, the Sustainable Infrastructure initiative could support the adoption of resource-efficient construction materials and newer rehabilitation technologies as the state expands and upgrades its road and bridge network. The workshop also provided a platform for connecting CSIR research with practical infrastructure requirements.
Note: PIB reported the workshop on August 20, 2026, while a subsequent PIB Bhopal release dated August 21 stated that the workshop was held on August 19 at CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal. This report follows the latter event date.
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